Brad Biggs' Bears mailbag

Brad BiggsTribune reporter

What are the chances the Bears make a push for Jared Allen? It feels like they have cap space and no real proven pass rushers on the roster. -- @DitkavHurricane from Twitter

This was by far the most popular question in the mailbag this week. A lot of people want to know if the Bears could be in play for Allen and I’ve even fielded calls from personnel men with other clubs asking if Allen could be in the mix. Here is what I know: When free agency opened and Allen was linked to the Seahawks and Bears, Chicago was not in play for Allen at that time. Could things shift over time? I suppose that is possible but if Allen is looking for the kind of money Julius Peppers received from the Packers and DeMarcus Ware got from the Broncos, I highly doubt it. Peppers received a $7.5 million signing bonus from Green Bay and with his base salary, he will earn $8.5 million this season. While the three-year deal maxes out at $26 million, I look at this as a one-year contract. Ware did even better with $30 million over three years from the Broncos with $16.5 million guaranteed initially and another $6.5 million guaranteed if he remains on the roster on the fifth day of the league year in 2015.

So, if Allen is angling for $10 million a year – or something in that range – I don’t think he is a fit for the Bears. The team currently has a little less than $6 million in salary cap room, if my calculations are accurate, but I have maintained for some time now that focusing on the club’s cap space isn’t going to be a very fruitful or telling exercise. Remember, the team has the flexibility to create more cap space on an as-needed basis so this constantly shifting number can change at any time. Would Allen create an as-needed basis for general manager Phil Emery? It’s possible. But if the Bears were to sign Allen, that would likely mean moving Lamarr Houston inside to the three technique position because Willie Young was signed with the idea of starting him. Emery has said Houston as the athletic ability to play three technique and he’s done it before.

But I get the sense the team wants Houston to play end and the Bears truly need an infusion of young talent on the defensive line. Signing Allen and kicking Houston inside would limit the opportunities for a young player to flourish. The Bears have gotten younger on the line right now by swapping out Peppers for Houston but Young will be 28 when the season begins, one year older than Corey Wootton, the player he effectively replaces. If Allen’s asking price changes, maybe that could create a different situation for the Bears but at this point I don’t see them having interest in paying him more than Houston and a number that would approach what Peppers was on the books for in 2014 prior to his release.

Why aren't the Bears going after a proven defensive end like Shaun Phillips for a short, relatively inexpensive deal as a stop-gap measure? -- @cdimitropoulos1 from Twitter

Heading into free agency, I think most people figured Phillips would be re-signed by the Broncos after his 10-sack season on a salary that had a base value of $1 million and escalated based on his performance. That hasn’t happened and he remains on the market. Phillips, who turns 33 in May, is probably looking for more than the prove-it deal he had last year. The longer free agency plays out, the more the dollars disappear. The Bears have high hopes for Willie Young and Phillips would not help the team get younger. He’s worth keeping an eye on, though, because he played well last season but I think the Bears feel they have done better than a stop-gap measure with Young.

Why didn't the Bears make more of an effort to sign Henry Melton? -- @Dsmith318David from Twitter

I don’t think that is a fair characterization of what happened. The Bears worked to sign Melton to a long-term deal last year when they placed the franchise tag on him. The club would have far preferred a multi-year contract to paying him $8.45 million as they did with the tag. But at no point did the sides make any traction toward getting a deal done. I think there was a wide gap between what Melton viewed his value to be and where the club believed he was. Given that, the only way for Melton to establish his value was for him to enter the market, which he did. It took some time too as he went from Minnesota to Seattle and then Dallas before St. Louis got involved.

Basically, Melton has a prove-it deal with the Cowboys that can pay him $5 million this season and then triggers another three years and significantly more money if he is on Dallas’ roster at the start of the 2015 league year. Obviously, the Bears feel comfortable with possibilities via the draft where there should be good options in the first few rounds. They don’t necessarily have to find Melton’s replacement in the first round. Good tackle options should be available in the second round and maybe even the third. With the money that Melton received – which is a little better than I expected there to be for him – and the ACL recovery, it’s possible the Bears will be better off. Maybe Melton comes back stronger than ever. If so, he’ll make good money in Dallas over the next couple seasons.

Why not bring back Corey Wootton? He is a good player and has the size. Is it money? -- @Hello_Neumann29 from Twitter

This has been another very popular question this week. Money isn’t the issue with Wootton, it’s the hip surgery he had in January that is a concern. I expect Wootton to seek a one-year contract with a team in order to prove he is healthy and productive to position himself for a more lucrative pay day in 2015. Wootton was an excellent teammate and a good left end when he played there. I don’t think he thrived inside at tackle. The Bears have one lineman coming off a serious injury in tackle Nate Collins, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and maybe they didn’t want to have two players coming off injuries to count on up front. They more or less replaced Wootton by signing Israel Idonije on Tuesday.

Will Julius Peppers be a big difference maker now that he did a Mongo McMichael and headed to the Cheese Kingdom? -- @GregAnthony726 from Twitter

I would be surprised if Peppers isn’t a better addition for Green Bay than McMichael was. Peppers showed plenty of flashes of his freakish ability last season to believe he can be a solid addition for Dom Capers. I think he’ll be better too if the Packers reduce his playing time. He was on the field for 81.7 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps last season and if Green Bay plays him closer to 50 percent of the time, I think he will have more impact plays. Capers can do some creative things with Peppers but make no mistake about it, Ted Thompson made a rare play in free agency with the idea of bolstering the pass rush. If Peppers’ contract wasn’t so large for 2014, he would probably still be with the Bears.

Do the Bears get compensatory picks next season? -- @2184_njh from Twitter

Another popular question. I don’t expect the Bears to receive any compensatory picks in the 2014 draft, and those will be announced next week at the owners meeting. Compensatory picks are determined by net gains and losses they had in free agency over the previous year. It is possible but I wouldn’t get worked up over the scenario. As far as compensatory picks in 2015, the Bears have signed Lamarr Houston and Willie Young, among others, and right now their most high-profile departure is Henry Melton. Julius Peppers will not count in this equation because his contract was terminated. You’re going to need to hope Melton has a gangbusters season in Dallas, Josh McCown dazzles in Tampa and Devin Hester gets a strong contract and has a big season wherever he lands. The formula for compensatory draft picks is kept secret by the NFL but it factors in the size of contracts and performance if players make the Pro Bowl, etc. The last time the Bears received compensatory draft picks was in 2009.

What you think of Danny McCray? Any chance he battles for a position or is he just a special teams player? -- @CiaranHall from Twitter

Even players targeted for their value on special teams need to find a spot on the depth chart but McCray looks like a player the Bears eye for use on special teams considering his experience with coordinator Joe DeCamillis in Dallas. McCray made 10 starts at safety for the Cowboys on defense in 2012 but in three other seasons he was used primarily on special teams. McCray made 28 special teams tackles for the Cowboys as a rookie in 2010, the third-most in team history since the club started tracking the statistic in 1988. That is also two tackles shy of the Bears record set in 2009 by mailbag reader favorite Tim Shaw, who had 30 in 2009.

Hear anything on the Bears bringing back Pat Mannelly? -- @trevhope from Twitter

Mannelly is rehabilitating from arthroscopic hip surgery and remains in the team’s plans. Provided Mannelly, who turns 39 next month, is physically cleared and opts to come back for a club record 17th season, he will be re-signed by the Bears. I don’t believe a move is imminent but Mannelly should return to the fold barring something unexpected or a change of heart. It might not be decided until May or June. Currently, the Bears have Brandon Hartson on the roster. He spent time snapping for the club last summer and in preseason.

By what date do NFL teams have to have 90 guys on their roster? -- @MrJurss from Twitter

There is no date that clubs have to reach the maximum of 90 players. Typically, teams will be at 90 or close to it during the latter stages of the offseason workout program and when they head to training camp.

Do you see Izzy Idonije mostly in the defensive end or defensive tackle rotation? -- @twt1978 from Twitter

Idonije has the versatility to play both positions but is far better suited on the left side as an end. At this point, his greatest value might be inside but we have to see what kind of moves are made as the club continues to fill in the defensive line. I expect the biggest remaining additions to come via the draft.

How would you breakdown draft needs now after free agent signings? -- @bchud1972 from Twitter

Free agency is an ongoing process but right now the Bears need young talent on the defensive line, a starting-caliber safety and some youth and talent at cornerback on the defensive side. I would not rule out an impact linebacker in the draft if there is a player the team sees with high upside. On offense, a possible positions in the draft include wide receiver, tight end and. Don’t rule out a quarterback or running back on the final day of the draft.

Does the organization think it can realistically win a Super Bowl this year or are they one year away? -- @JeremyMEllis from Twitter

If you’re not in it to win it every year, you’re cheating the franchise as well as the fan base. Are the Bears a realistic Super Bowl contender this next season? Few would pick them ahead of Seattle or San Francisco in the NFC and they’ve struggled to get past Green Bay in recent seasons. If the defense improves to middle of the pack, the Bears should be in the postseason hunt. For a club that has been out of the playoffs six times in the last seven years, that’s a good start.

The Bears have changed out a good portion of their defensive line this offseason. Do you think they've gotten better or just younger? -- @Trestmanstache from Twitter They have not really gotten significantly younger up front at this point when you look at the roster from the start of last season to right now on the line. But this remains a work in progress and the draft holds the key to a sustainable future in the trenches. If Jeremiah Ratliff and Nate Collins are productive inside and help comes via the draft, I would expect the defense to be improved on the line.

Have the Bears added enough depth via free agency to trade draft picks for a top-five pick to take Khalil Mack or Jadeveon Clowney? -- @DagoJoe1 from Twitter

Not in my opinion. More importantly, the price to move up from No. 14 into the top five would be exorbitant and be felt for a couple years. I don’t envision the Bears making a major jump up in the first round of the draft.

Who is the third wide receiver on the roster now? -- @AustenJohnson24 from Twitter

That’s a great question and one the Bears cannot answer right now. Certainly the club is hopeful Marquess Wilson will make major strides in his second season and the club was pleased with the development of the seventh-round pick last year under Marc Trestman and wide receivers coach Mike Groh. But Wilson was on the field for only 75 offensive snaps and there is no evidence to suggest he’s fully capable of being a third receiver at this point. There is also no evidence he will fail. I doubt the Bears would have released Earl Bennett on Tuesday if they were not confident in Wilson but it is a projection for him right now. Domenik Hixon has experience playing receiver, certainly more than Eric Weems, and should also figure into the mix. I’d look for the Bears to add competition while hoping Wilson steps forward and grabs the opportunity in front of him.